Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-10-01
THE CRIMSON SCARF.


"How old did you say'" asked the
.ommander-in-chief'
nineteen"
"And the man.!
"a little older"
The commander-in-chief pulled his
rigar at thoughtful intervals. The war
was by 22 years a thing OF the past,
but as head OF a great commercial
rnterprise q. military title still! clung to
him from out of his military expert
epce. and he did not dishkeit, for some
of his ssr memories appeared to be
his most cherished treasures. So he
debated with his cigar over the two
young people whose sentimentalrash-
ness had brought them into
public notice, and as he debat-
ed he was looking backwards
over the diverse panorama of two
decades OF life, through the rifted
smoke clouds OF great rebellion at a
little drama that seemed almost O
dream, but which to him was perhaps,
the best remembered incident OF all
the five years fight. And when he
told i, hall musingly, the listeners
did not wonder. The ways OF fate are
yery diverse, and it sometimes hap
pens TO the least imaginative IN the
madding crowd that face which is
looked into only for moment is new
er forgotten in all the lenght OF years
that follows. Perhaps it was so with
the commander-in-chl Perhaps not.
In any event, nobody dared to ask.
I'm the fall of 1863" he began, II
was stationed with detachment at
Point Rock, Ala. We were drawing on
the enemy for supplies; forag-
inc, in fact. Our crackers and
hard tack we got from
Stevenson, but for fodder for our
horses and anything to add sumptu-
BUSINESS to the appearance of the fry
ing pan we had to depend on the coun'
try. For some weeks had sent out
the wagon train to the east, thesouth,
east. and down the valley ofthe Paint
Rock Creek The only direction left
for Investigation was the west, where
at q distance OF 21 miles, was Hunts
vile. then the capital of Northern
Alabama, which, up TO the time oftht
war, had been a wealthy, aristocratic
andfashionable city. Well, one pleas
ant morning | sent the wagons across
the creek and followed the m with q
guard OF 20 men. 1t was reported
from time to time that the country
ahead OF us was full OF rebel guerrillas
but we saw no signs OF them, and fol
two naonths had no trouble whatever
vith.any foe.
s'sAftascrossing the creek thewaeon.
took road which wound along th'
loot OF a spur at the Blue Ridge Mount
aims, which rose green. heavily wood
ed, and picturesque at our backs. w
passed several small clearings AM
plantations, whose log house
were filed with hot-blooded and hot
tempered Southern women, whose ev
identdesire' is to- fay us with thei
fnger-nails rather interfered with tina
sweet spirit OF hospitality for whicl
the South is famous. At a distanc
OF seven miles ! halted the detach
ment at a cool | sinister-lookin
place in-ths road, known to all tn
country round about as the Gap
"The Gap" was the entrance e
q pass through one OF tn
outlying mountain spurs. 1t wa
. deep hollow, heavily wool
ed. The dense growth OF towerin
pines and frs grew close to the roaC
side. The woody spaces were so file
With underground and blocked by fal
en- trees that as you peered into tn
dark recesses of the forest on eithe
side hostile army might have bee
sheltered there without your beir
able to perceive button. l remen
berthe looks oil the place because tn
nrst time | saw it it made me ratht
uneasy, and the last time but one tha
isaw 1t / came near staying there fC
good, as did, in fact, some other poo
Fellows who were not so fortunate.
well, after rest, We kept on, an
a lew miles further we came on
plantation of $50 acres, with q lar
and comfortable-looking residen,
near the roadside. The wa
ons had reached there lol
before us. They were being ra
hiy hlled from row of well-store
sorn,cribs at the back OF the hous
inad just gotten off my horse ne;
the door when two girls cama towal
ma and if were not telling this stor
ntlemen, l would honestly decla
tnst they were the two prettiest cir
exG saw m my life.
They were both tall and slende
SA Waeeful and womanlv figure
Insy were dressed in dark blue calic
And had no artificial aids to the
young beauty. Their faces were j
re..,sens mass and fun OF resolution, y
marked by that shyness which (
Ungs 10 airis who are well born a,
1reao IN comparative seclusion. II
sider. Ellen, was dark-eyed and dar
haired. Addis was seventeen ~
years younger than her sister n,
blonde. The apparition ii
Presented astonished us. | thi
al the men took off their ba
mselnctively. know did A
= my hat was real Msx;ca-, a. a.
20 and matched the Iona Nssic